Variability of Lake Chad

Water and Food Sustainability in the Riparian Countries of Lake Chad in Africa

“…Generally, the management structure of law and order in Africa is rickety, and this can be seen in the way water systems are being managed; there are no sustainable water laws or the metrics to detect are too challenging to quantify, leaving many people as violators of the law. People still cut down trees that leave the area bare, they still hunt for fish without any need for a license, and those monitoring most water deliveries and taxes just do it with no accountability, which makes them look somewhat like a threat to the citizens [23].…”

“…In Africa, the implementation of water laws similar to those seen in the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) faces challenges. While the USA's Clean Water Act ensures that industries and individuals maintain safe limits on water's physical, chemical, and biological properties, and the EU has a range of water directives for surface and groundwater, Africa struggles to implement such laws [23] effectively. In many cases, despite the existence of water laws, adherence by the citizens remains limited, which results in the impairment of water systems [103][104][105].…”

“…The LCBC is a liaison between the government, NGOs, and communities to bridge the gaps between water governance, climate change, and security issues. There has been a lack of follow-up on various measures taken to address the impact of climate change and insurgency on water resources, resulting in uncertainty about what steps should be taken next [23,107]. Lake Chad, involving the commitment of four significant countries, makes it more relevant to ensure transboundary cooperation that implements policies smoothly and swiftly [108].…”

“…International organizations like the World Bank have interventions in the Lake Chad Development and Climate Resilience Action Plan (LCDAP), which is excellent since they would monitor and ensure the integration of such a process. The actionable plans in the LCDAP are excellent, if all are implemented, and promote decentralization, sensitization of citizens to water bodies, and awareness creation about the Lake; recovery, relief, and incentives for drought and conflict management; and, overall, another collaborative intervention approach that engages the community for a solution [23].…”

“…Other measures should include dredging the lake to remove siltation that has accumulated at the bottom of the lake over the years [22], which would help to increase lake water storage, and implementing innovative water harvesting measures in the watersheds [23]. In addition, landscape conservation planning is needed in all the watersheds that are draining into Lake Chad in order to reduce soil erosion [24] and increase inflow rates to the lake from regional contributing rivers [23].…”